ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Ternary composites of multi-wall carbon nanotubes, polyaniline, and noble-metal nanoparticles for potential applications in electrocatalysis

Irina Sapurina and Jaroslav Stejskal

Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, 199004, Russian Federation

E-mail: stejskal@imc.cas.cz

Received: 9 December 2008  Revised: 16 March 2009  Accepted: 17 March 2009

Abstract: Multi-wall carbon nanotubes were coated with a conducting polymer, polyaniline phosphotungstate. Such composite structures have mixed electronic and proton conductivity, high surface area and porosity. These materials were decorated with catalytically-active noble metals — Pt, Pd, and Rh. Metal nanoparticles were uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix. Such ternary composites can be considered as electrode materials in sensors, electrolysers, supercapacitors, and especially in low-temperature fuel cells with a proton-conducting polymer membrane.

Keywords: conducting polymer - polyaniline - proton conductivity - noble metals - nanoparticles - carbon nanotubes

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-009-0061-3

Chemical Papers 63 (5) 579–585 (2009)